Becoming a successful veterinary technician is not just about puppies and kittens and technical skills; it also requires certain personal qualities and characteristics that contribute to success in the field. Whether you are considering a career as a veterinary technician or already on your journey, understanding these essential qualities can help you excel in your role. A successful veterinary technician is required to embody essential qualities that contribute to excellence in patient and client care. Cultivating compassion, attention to detail, effective communication, problem-solving abilities, physical stamina, professionalism, and integrity are key at MedQuest College where we instruct students how to be the best veterinary technicians they can be. MedQuest College holds its core values to heart, student-centered, innovation, passion, empowerment, community, and character. These essential qualities and core values have most of our students acquiring job offers at the clinical site where they complete their internship. Let’s look at some of those essential qualities a bit more in detail.
Attention to Detail
In the veterinary field, attention to detail is critical for ensuring the accuracy of medical records, administering medications correctly, and identifying subtle changes in an animal’s condition. Veterinary technicians must be meticulous in their work, carefully following protocols and procedures to provide the highest standard of care for their patients.
Communication Skills
Veterinary technicians must be able to communicate clearly and confidently, both verbally and in writing, to convey important information about a patient’s condition, treatment plan, and aftercare instructions. Effective communication is essential for veterinary technicians to collaborate with veterinarians, fellow staff members, and pet owners.
Patience
A good technician has patience. We are exposed to animals of all sorts, with all different types of personalities. It is easy to become frustrated with a fractious animal. Just as important, we will also be dealing with all different types of people, both clients and the rest of the veterinary team where we work. This is probably the biggest challenge, as we tend to give animals the benefit of the doubt. The “golden rule” of to treat others as you would like them to treat you … not, in fact, the way they DO treat you! It’s not always easy, but it is an essential part of the job if you want to succeed as a veterinary technician.
Problem-Solving Abilities
Veterinary technicians often encounter unexpected challenges and emergencies in their day-to-day work. The ability to think critically and solve problems quickly and efficiently is invaluable in the fast-paced environment of a veterinary clinic. Veterinary technicians must be adaptable and resourceful, able to make informed decisions in high-pressure situations.
Physical Stamina
Working as a veterinary technician can be physically demanding, requiring long hours on your feet, lifting and restraining animals, and performing repetitive tasks. Physical stamina and endurance are essential qualities that enable veterinary technicians to meet the physical demands of the job and provide optimal care for their patients.
Professionalism and Integrity
Maintaining professionalism and integrity is essential for earning the trust and respect of colleagues, clients, and the community. Veterinary technicians must adhere to ethical standards and uphold the highest level of integrity in all aspects of their work. Integrity is about doing the right thing, or owning up to a mistake when the wrong thing is done. Integrity implies that others can trust that you say what you do, you do what you say, and you do not commit those “lies of omission” or “white lies” along the way.
Resilience
Resilience is the ability to stay the course even under varying degrees of pressure. There will be days when the world will be caving in on you, and you can barely take a break to go potty. Some people flourish in an environment like this; others simply have to endure it, but at least they get through it. This is true in the physical sense, but also in an emotional or mental sense when you must deal with the trauma and tragedies of others, typically your clients and their pets. Resilience is improved with knowledge of burnout and compassion fatigue, two conditions that influence how we feel about where we work and the work we do as caregivers.
Arm yourself with knowledge on how to cope with these conditions, and do not be ashamed or afraid to ask for help. Realize that the work we do is extraordinarily difficult, and it just makes sense that we need to develop coping mechanisms to maintain resilience, and at times we need to seek help to learn these tools.
Learn More about Medquest College
At MedQuest College, we understand the importance of developing these essential qualities in aspiring veterinary technicians. Our comprehensive training programs in veterinary technology are designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to thrive in the veterinary field. To learn more about our veterinary technology programs and how they can help you achieve your career goals, request more information today. Take the first step toward a career as a veterinary technician by submitting your application.